Identifying the standout returning players in college basketball has become increasingly challenging due to the impact of the transfer portal.
In recent years, players have the opportunity to transfer between colleges without the traditional requirement of sitting out for a season.
This shift has turned smaller programs into developmental systems for larger ones, with athletes from mid-major and low-major schools frequently moving to bigger programs after achieving success.
For example, four out of five first-team selections from the Southern Conference last year have moved on.
While Chattanooga guard Trey Bonham remains within the league, other players such as JP Pegues (transferred from Furman to Auburn), Achor Achor (from Samford to Kansas State), and Mikeal Brown-Jones (from UNC Greensboro to Mississippi) have shifted to power-conference teams.
In the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, not a single first-team player from last season has stayed in the league, although three are competing elsewhere.
Jalen Leach transferred from Fairfield to Northwestern, Dakota Leffew moved from Mount St. Mary’s to Georgia, and Corey Washington left Saint Peter’s to join Wichita State.
Despite the high levels of player movement, there are several athletes from one-bid leagues whose proven abilities will likely make an impact in the current season, albeit with less visibility than before.
Trey Bonham perfectly exemplifies this evolution.
His college journey started in the Southern Conference with two seasons at VMI before he took a year off at Florida, where his playing time diminished.
Ultimately returning to the SoCon with Chattanooga, he earned first-team all-conference honors, averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and nearly 2 steals per game, contributing to the Mocs’ successful campaign of 21-12.
This fifth-year senior has been named the preseason player of the year for the Southern Conference.
Several other notable players from smaller NCAA tournament leagues are expected to leave their mark this season, reinforcing how the transfer tendencies have reshaped the college basketball landscape.
Kezza Giffa from High Point is another player to watch.
Hailing from France, he played one year at UTEP and another at Daytona State College before joining High Point last season, where he averaged 16.2 points per game, securing a place as the third-leading scorer in the Big South Conference.
Impressively, Giffa ranked second nationally in free throws made with 242, behind only Zach Edey of Purdue, was honored with first-team all-Big South accolades, and helped guide High Point to a strong 27-9 record.
Tyon Grant-Foster of Grand Canyon has an inspirational story.
After a medical emergency during his time at DePaul that sidelined him for an entire season, he made a remarkable comeback, leading Grand Canyon to an impressive 30-5 record last year.
Grant-Foster earned Western Athletic Conference player of the year honors, averaging 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
At UC Davis, TY Johnson is a player to keep an eye on.
Last season, he averaged 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.25 assists, and topped the Big West with 1.8 steals per game, helping the team reach a 20-13 record.
Johnson has been at UC Davis for three years after initially beginning his collegiate career at Loyola Chicago.
Caden Pierce stands out as the one athlete on this list who has completed his entire college career at Princeton.
This 6-7 junior was part of the Princeton squad that made it to the Sweet 16 in 2022-23.
He recorded nine points and 16 rebounds in the second round against Missouri, finishing that season averaging 8.2 points and 7.3 rebounds.
In his subsequent year, Pierce improved significantly with averages of 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, earning the Ivy League player of the year designation as Princeton achieved a 24-4 record.
Additionally, KK Robinson at Little Rock is making waves as well, as the 6-foot guard averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists last year, leading to first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference recognition while helping his team finish at 21-13.
Before this, Robinson played two seasons at Arkansas and one at Texas A&M.
Finally, Christian Shumate of McNeese made headlines by concluding the 2023-24 season with 19 points and 11 rebounds during an NCAA Tournament loss to Gonzaga.
After spending a year at Tulsa, Shumate has consistently averaged over 12 points during his three years at McNeese, with last season’s numbers standing at 12.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
As the current season unfolds, the dynamics of college basketball continue to evolve, making the tracking of talent more intricate yet essential.